The Shawshank Redemption: Andy Dufresne emerges as a victorious Christ figure from the sludge and muck of the sewage pipe.

The Good News of Jesus is (often) the story behind all other great stories: 

• When tragedy turns to triumph.

• When sacrifice releases unimaginable joy.

• When absolute weakness becomes immeasurable strength.

• When darkness and defeat become the new dawn of victory.

When you think all hope is lost; when disciples are huddled together in fear; when victory emerges out of nowhere and from the most unlikely source, namely, the scourge of the cross – that’s when you know you are hearing about or living in the great rescue story of Jesus!

• You see the story of Jesus in The Beauty and the Beast, especially in the beauty who gives up all of her happiness to throw herself in the arms of the beast. She was a princess after all – having a heavenly time! Yet, because of her unimaginable sacrifice, she shows us what true love looks like and sets free the man bound in his nature as a beast.

• You see it in Frodo in The Lord of the Rings – the small, humble hobbit who journeys into the heart of Evil Morder, destroys the ring, and frees middle earth from darkness and death. That’s the story of Jesus told, by J.R.R. Tolkien, in a thousand different ways!

• You see it in my favorite movie, The Shawshank Redemption. When author Stephen King – this author of horror – finally decides to write a beautiful story, he has to look to the story of Jesus! When Andy Dufresne emerges from the sludge, muck, and refuse of the sewage pipe into freedom, he emerges victorious as a Christ figure in the story!

Screen writers know it. Novelists know it. Fairytales know it. The good news of Jesus is (often) the story behind all other great stories.

Yet, what if the great story of Jesus also has a great story underneath his life and ministry?  What if Michael Morales’ declaration, “The central theme and story of the Bible – and of history itself – is the exodus” is true even for the life and ministry of Jesus?

Put differently, Northrop Frye (literary critic) once wryly remarked that the exodus “is the only thing that ever happens” in the Bible. What if that sentiment is true for Jesus? What if Jesus lived an exodus-shaped life?

Alistair Roberts argues precisely for understanding the metanarrative of the exodus as underlying the entire framework of Jesus’ life and ministry. In other words, without understanding the exodus, one cannot fully appreciate the meaning of the life, ministry, and death of Jesus. As Roberts argues, “The life of Jesus is an exodus, hidden in plain sight”.

The gospel writer Luke makes this plain for all readers who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Listen to how Luke describes the Transfiguration:

And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure [exodos in the Greek] which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ~ Luke 9:30-31

Jesus is about to accomplish an exodos in Jerusalem! Redemption from slavery. Freedom from tyranny. The people of God will know the name of God (Abba Father!), experience the glory of God (in Jesus the Messiah!), and encounter the presence of God (this time through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit not only through the external pillar of cloud and fire). This second exodus will be a powerful divine miracle of grace which will be poured out through the life of Jesus for all the nations which echoes the original exodus event.

Or, take a microscope and look at one singular aspect of Jesus’ life and ministry: the wilderness temptation. You quickly begin to recognize that Jesus lived an exodus-shaped life.

First, Jesus goes through the waters of baptism (Mt. 3:13-17) which echoes Israel’s own passing through the waters of the Red Sea in Exodus 14:21-22. (In the OT, Israel is also referred to as God’s son, Ex. 4:22; Hosea 11:1.)

Second, Jesus has a lengthy period of wandering and testing in the desert (40 days this time, Mt. 4:1-2) where he is called to resist evil while standing on the Word of God and his promises.

Third, the specific temptations that Jesus faces in the desert echo the same temptations that completely unraveled Israel in its temptation in the wilderness.

• A. Remember there was grumbling about the lack of food in the wilderness? Israel was saying, “Would that we had died…in the land of Egypt...when we ate bread to the full,” (Ex 16:3). Yet, Jesus replied in his temptation, “Man shall not live on bread alone” (Mt. 4:4)

• B. Remember, there was a testing of God by the people when they demanded a miracle? Israel wanted water in the desert; therefore, Moses rebuked the people: “Why do you test the Lord”? (Ex. 17:2). Yet, Jesus replies in his wilderness temptation: “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.” (Mt. 4:7)

• C. Remember, there was a bowing down to false gods? Israel prostrated itself before the Golden Calf in Exodus 32 with the people saying, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt?” Yet Jesus would not bow the knee to Satan. Satan shows him all the kingdoms of the world to tempt Jesus: “All you have to do is fall down and worship me”.  Yet, Jesus says: “Be gone, Satan!...You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (Mt. 4:10).

Where Israel fails, Jesus succeeds.

Jesus is obedient. He is the faithful and true Israelite who is able to accomplish the exodos in Jerusalem by his sacrificial death on a cross: “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (Jn. 1:29).

Jesus lived an exodus-shaped life, enjoyed an exodus-shaped ministry, and accomplished an exodus-shaped death on the cross for our salvation.

“The life of Jesus is an exodus, hidden in plain sight” (Roberts).

If Jesus is the story behind all other great stories…the Exodus is the story behind the great story of Jesus.

Q: Do you think that there is a danger in politics wagging the tail of faith, or politics wagging the tail of Jesus, or politics wagging the tail of the church?

A: Yes. Succinctly put, the danger is this: If you don’t recognize the idolatry and messianic character of contemporary American politics, you might be prone to be placed in the spin cycle of the idolatry of American partisanship. See my blog post: The Messianic Character of Contemporary American Politics: The Rise as Politics as Religion (Rev. Dr. Jason Carter, Sept. 25, 2020, Gospel-Centered Shepherding Blog).

Q: How does a pastor decide when and how to engage with cultural issues?

A: I’ve written about precisely this question in an article for Reformation 21: When To Speak Out? A Pastor’s Engagement with Current Issues (Aug 26, 2019, Reformation 21; see also When To Speak Out? on this site). A pastor is not primarily called to be a political pundit. With wise discernment, a pastor can offer a prophetic voice and critique of our times. Yet, at the end of the day, a pastor is not primarily called to be a cultural critic with respect to every issue under the sun nor are most pastors equipped vocationally to do so. There is a wise and judicious amount of humility involved in the statement: I am primarily a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Q:  Are there examples of you speaking out on cultural issues?

A:  I have preached on “This Cultural Moment” in the context of a six-week sermon series on sexuality and gender wherein the sermon also touched on racism, abortion, and hospitality to the poor and marginalized (see: revdrjasoncarter.com/sermons).

     Check out the 5-week Sunday school study entitled “God’s Design, Our Bodies, and this Cultural Moment” which interacted with Carl Truman’s The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. I’ve blogged about racism several times after national controversies including “On Race and the Gospel: Pastoral Reflections” after Charlottesville in 2017 and shared “10 Resources on Racism and Racial Reconciliation” in 2020.

Q: Has there been a fracturing of the Reformed evangelical world with regards to sexuality, gender, race, and politics?

A: No doubt. My friend Kevin DeYoung offers this very helpful taxonomy: “Why Reformed Evangelicalism Has Splintered: Four Approaches to Race, Politics, and Gender” (March 9, 2021, The Gospel Coalition).

Q: What has been Trinity’s stance on politics over the years? 

A: Our church has been guided by a policy developed over two decades ago. Years ago, after receiving multiple requests to distribute material that critique political candidates, the Session dedicated time to Bible study, prayer, and dialogue. The Session concluded that participating in such political advocacy could distract from the preaching of the Gospel and create needless conflict for the body of Christ since sincere Christ-followers often reach differing conclusions on political issues.

Q: Does that mean that our church is apathetic during election season?

A: Not at all. Instead, we encourage our Covenant Partners to be well-informed, prayerful, and exercise their civic duty and privilege of voting based on a prayerful and biblically informed worldview. Yet, the leadership of our church does not presume to instruct Christians as to their political ideology, and neither will we allow outsiders to use the congregation to advance their ambitions.

The Bible provides sufficient principles as to how Christians should behave in the political realm. 1 Timothy 2:2 instructs us to pray for our civic leaders, regardless of our feelings towards them. 1 Peter 2:17 reminds us to “show proper respect to everyone”. Paul writes to Titus: “remind the people…to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all people” (Titus 3:2). This is wise counsel from the Bible.

It’s not that Christians should never talk about controversial issues or the upcoming elections. We realize that is an impossibility. Yet, Romans 12:10 counsels us to “outdo one another in showing honor”. Therefore, whenever we discuss politics, Trinity’s leadership encourages you to do so with an attitude of deep humility and mutual respect, remembering that we are primarily united in the Lord Jesus Christ.

My hope is that our congregation is full of Christians seeking to be peacemakers with a view towards preserving “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). One of the best gifts we can give our nation is to model how strong Christian communities of diverse people can be united in the saving faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To download a PDF of Leadership Culture Article #5: “Email Matters: 15 Questions | How Shall we Utilize Email in our Leadership Culture to the Glory of God? click here.

Based on my experience of pastoral ministry, I can tell you that about 85-90% of all church conflict over the last seven years at Trinity has its roots in unhealthy communication via email. Through discussions with other pastors, Trinity is hardly unique in this regard! Rather, this is a common trait in the life of the contemporary western church which begs us to reflect upon an important leadership question: how do leaders and covenant partners in the body of Christ steward well the use of email in the church leadership space to the glory of God?

Here are fifteen questions to ask yourself before blasting off an email:

1.     Are you seeking to address conflict in the church biblically according to Jesus’ counsel in Matthew 18:15-20? (Go ahead and read the passage. Then seek to apply the wisdom of Jesus before writing an angry email!)

 2.     Have you talked to the person face-to-face before blasting an email to the entire group? (Again, Jesus is full of wisdom in Matthew 18!)

 3.     Does this email have the chance to be misunderstood? Then it’s either a short phone call or a sit-down meeting. (Email communication is the one of the poorest forms of communication ever invented on planet earth and is often misunderstood. There is no tone involved. There is no direct eye contact. There is no embodied presence. Gentle, heartfelt, gracious language in an email frequently misses the mark or gets completely overlooked or easily overshadowed.)

4.     BIG & IMPORTANT: Are you about to write the email in anger? (In my years of ministry, I have never seen anger move a discussion forward in a healthy manner, especially misunderstandings involving interpersonal relationships.)

5.     Have you sat on the email for at least 24-48 hours and still think it is prudent and wise to send the email? (Abraham Lincoln made it a common practice to write a letter and never to send it. You might want to channel your inner Abraham Lincoln before pressing “send”).

6.     Are you attempting to rally multiple people to your side or point of view? (A common feature of unhealthy emails are ones which include a bunch of people in the CC lines, a direct contradiction of Jesus’ wisdom in Matthew 18:15-20. Healthy conflict seeks to engage the least number of people possible and/or only the people with the power to directly impact the decision-making process.) 

7.     Is this a “just getting things off my chest email?” (Wisdom will tell you that every emotion and every perspective does not always merit to be shared.)

8.     Is this a “I’m going to give you a piece of my mind email”? (The problem is this: send too many of those emails and you start losing marbles all over the place.)

9.     BIG & IMPORTANT: Does this email feel like “walking in the flesh” or “walking in the Spirit”? (Online communication easily devolves into the former rather than the latter. Read Galatians 5:16-26. Does your email promote the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Or does the email feel like it’s out for a walk with the flesh in the hot afternoon in promoting enmity, strife, fits of anger, dissensions, and division in the church?)  

10.  Am I garnering a reputation for being a complainer? (Every church has these folks. Self-reflection may entail asking the hard question: “Am I one of them?”)

11.  Am I garnering a reputation for being divisive or angry? (Every church has these folks. Self-reflection may entail asking the hard question: “Am I one of them?”)

12.  Am I making “my preferences” and “my tastes” the mark of how the church should be led and governed? (Can reasonable Christians come to differing conclusions about the topic? If so, make sure you are not embodying the temptation towards consumerism – “it’s about my preferences!” | “it’s about my opinions!” – which exists as a parasite and a plague upon the Church in the modern era.)

13.  Does this email reflect well on my character and my witness to Jesus? (Does my email display “the best” of who I am? Would I choose to say this with gentleness and love to the recipient?)

14.  After having prayerfully read Matthew 18:15-20, ask yourself: Is there a sin issue involved where Galatians 6:1 and Matthew 18:15-20 would biblically come into play? (That’s definitely a conversation!) Or, if there is no sin issue involved, is this a “bear with one another in love” kind of scenario? (Read Eph. 4:2 and Col. 3:13).

15.  BIG & IMPORTANT: Does this email promote the peace, purity, and unity of the Church? (This is a vow that every Covenant Partner and every ordained officer - pastor, elder, deacon - in the body of Christ makes before God and before this congregation:

Every Covenant Partner: Do you promise, by word and deed, to be faithful in maintaining the truth of the Gospel and the peace, purity, and unity of the Church?

For Every Pastor/Elder/Deacon: Do you promise to be faithful in maintaining the truth of the Gospel and the peace, purity, and unity of the Church?

Disrupting the peace, purity, and unity of the Church is a significant charge and one to take seriously before you hit “send” and before you begin engaging in enmity, strife, anger, and division within the body of Christ either online or in person.)

The church is, after all, Christ’s body for which he died.

What the Sabbath is NOT:

Sabbath is not simply “a day off”.

As Eugene Peterson once remarked, “A ‘day off’ is a bastardization of Sabbath-keeping.“

Sabbath is not solitude and silence.

Those are distinct spiritual disciplines. The Sabbath might include those elements but cannot be reduced to them.

The Sabbath is not a private affair.

Family, friends, and the family of God can and should be involved.

The Sabbath is not a solemn affair.

Traditionally, there was no fasting on the Sabbath day. The Sabbath is worth celebrating - break out a bountiful table, eat succulent food, laugh & play with friends and family.

The Sabbath: What is it?

Sabbath is ceasing, celebrating, and communing with God in community.

• Ceasing…from work

Your pattern of work and rest is embedded in creation. This is who you were created to be.

• Celebrating…your redemption

You are not a slave to work nor the inner compulsions that drive you towards non-stop production; the Sabbath is a day to celebrate your freedom. You were liberated! You were redeemed! By Christ! You celebrate those realities in your life! You celebrate freedom, life, creation, your humanity, and the goodness of God on the Sabbath.

• Communion…with God

“Come to me,” says the gentle and lowly Christ. This is a gentle invitation is to find rest for your souls as you commune with God.

• In Community

Sabbath is not an individualistic pursuit but rather a communal endeavor. Celebrate the Sabbath with the family of God as well as your own family and friends.

“Because we do not rest, we lose our way.” (Wayne Muller) Try this self-evaluative diagnostic: “10 Symptoms of Hurry Sickness”.

Are you being drawn to a new rhythm of life? An ancient practice that is being re-discovered in the modern era?

“Remember the Sabbath” (Ex. 20:8).

I’ve developed two resources entitled: “Sabbath as Resistance”.

Sabbath as Resistance: A Six-Lesson Study Guide for Individuals or Groups

The Study Guide consists of six lessons to promote conversation (in groups) or contemplation (for individuals).  Each lesson covers a portion of scripture, covers a “bid idea” for the lesson, and provides engaging instructional questions.

Sabbath as Resistance: A Reading Guide

A Reading Guide represents a collated “best of the best” chapters from authors such as Ruth Haley Barton, John Mark Comer, Walter Bruggemann, A.J. Swoboda. In each lesson, participants can read a very manageable 15 pages per lesson.

Marriage and Our Culture: The best 1 hour, 43 minutes available online on the meaning of marriage, I dare say, come from Tim and Kathy Keller here.  So many transformative thoughts and practical counsel for transforming your marriage this summer. Enjoy!

What about Forgiveness when the Offender doesn’t Repent? Some helpful thoughts (on a difficult topic) about what to do when you’ve been wronged, hurt, and sinned against yet the person has not (or will not) repent of the sin. 

Why I never recommend Jesus Calling by Sarah Young This is (probably) controversial for some people who make Jesus Calling a regular part of their devotional lives. Yet, I have issues with Jesus Calling, as it undercuts, I believe, the sufficiency of Scripture. Is scripture really “enough” for our lives or do we need “extra words” from Jesus coming through the pen of Sarah Young? If you read Jesus Calling, I encourage you to read the reviews of the book by Tim Challies here and here which express these concerns winsomely yet clearly.

For instance, the January 8th “words from Jesus” sounds like, to me, a very far cry from the biblical Jesus:

Softly I announce my Presence. Shimmering hues of radiance tap gently at your consciousness, seeking entrance. Though I have all Power in heaven and on earth, I am infinitely tender with you. The weaker you are, the more gently I approach you. Let your weakness by a door to My Presence. Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that I am your ever-present Help.

Simply put, that’s not the biblical Jesus that I know. It doesn’t seem like the way Jesus spoke. Tim Challies writes that many of the devotions that supposedly come from Jesus sound more like a middle age woman offering you therapy than the real Jesus. Reader: Beware. Beware of a “21st century therapeutic Jesus” masquerading as the biblical Jesus. Simply put, why not read the Psalms instead of Jesus Calling? The Bible truly is enough for our lives of faith, for our sufferings and difficulties, and for our daily encouragement as we go through life.

What devotional books do I recommend? Three good devotional books:

1.  Tim Keller’s excellent daily devotional on the Book of Proverbs: God's Wisdom for Navigating Life: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs

2.  New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp.

3. Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung.

A profound statement recently stopped me in my tracks: “A mature Christian is easily edified.”

This is, I believe, a proper and fitting goal of our Christian discipleship.

Because far too often, don’t you find yourself being:

• too easily offended (by others)

• too easily distracted (by technology)

• too easily frustrated (by the demands of the day)

• too easily stressed out (by the busyness of life)

• too easily irritated (by your family)

What exactly would a believer’s life look like who is “easily edified’?

A believer who is “easily edified” would be falling more in love with Jesus, amazed by the grace and mercy of God. “God has been so faithful to me!”

A believer who is “easily edified” would experience the full repertoire of “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Eph. 5:19) as all avenues to worship: “God is so quickly praised and thanked in my life!”

A believer who is “easily edified” would drink deeply from the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation: “The full counsel of God is like living water to my desert-like parched soul!”

“A mature Christian is easily edified.”

Yet, what is true for our individual lives of discipleship is also true for living in community as the body of Christ:

• The critical spirit who likes things “my way” in the church would slowly be choked out.

• The church consumerism in all of us would slowly be wrestled down to the ground. 

An “easily edified” community of Christ-followers would begin to say things like: “You know what? I can be blessed by whoever is preaching. I can encounter God through whatever songs we sing today and whoever is leading worship.”

“You know what? I’ve learned that even though I don’t agree with every decision of the church’s leadership, I am becoming more generous in my praise than in my complaints. In fact, I trust that the elders and staff are seeking the mind of Christ, and I’d want to be shown the same level of graciousness if I was in their shoes. In the end, I am purposely refraining from gossiping about my church’s faults and shortcomings and intentionally finding more ways to celebrate the faithfulness of God in my church.”

“A mature community of Christ-followers is easily edified.”